Hollywood.com interviewed a bunch of Star Wars authors to get their opinions on Episodes VII, VIII and IX.

Drew Karpyshyn

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What I Hope to See from Episodes VII-IX: I'd like to see films that are directed towards an older, more mature audience. It felt like Episodes I-III were directed at children and a generally younger demographic - which is great for bringing in new fans - but as an adult Star Wars fan I'd like to return to the darker, more serious tone of The Empire Strikes Back.

What secondary or Expanded Universe character I'd Like to See Get the Spotlight: Obviously I'd love to see the films explore the Old Republic era; I think there's so much potential there, particularly with a character like Darth Bane. (The fact that I wrote three Darth Bane novels in no way makes me biased!)

How I Want to See Luke, Han, or Leia Die: My hope is that they live to ripe old ages before passing away peacefully. I'd prefer to see their role in the later films be more as mentors/advisors in the same way Obi-Wan was in the original trilogy, though I hope they don't all end up having to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. These characters have paid their dues, so as a fan I don't want to see them suffer an untimely or violent death.

Paul S. Kemp

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What I Hope to See from Episodes VII-IX: What I really hope to see is love of the underlying subject matter. I think Star Wars is a phenomenon because it’s more than just a space opera or space fantasy (take your pick). It’s a mythic story and touches at something deep in the human experience. It’s built on a foundation of heroic myth and heroic transformation and that’s what makes it so appealing, generation after generation. I’d just like to see the new stories build off that foundation (because it’s a rich one, and there is lots of room for new and wonderful stories, all while hewing to the mythic structure).

What secondary or Expanded Universe character I'd Like to See Get the Spotlight: Hmm. That’s a real toughie so I’m just going to weasel a bit. I’d very much like to see a female Jedi in one of the leading roles. In that regard, Jaina Solo would be excellent, but there are many others to choose from.

How I Want to See Luke, Han, or Leia Die: If they have to die, Han and Leia should go out together, wrapped in each other’s arms. “I love you,” he says. She smiles and answers, “I know.” And then it’s lights out. Yeah, that’d work. As for Luke, I think Luke has to go out in a grand, self-sacrificing way, with full knowledge of what he’s doing before he does it, and all in service to the greater good of rebuilding the Jedi Order. Ideally, just before he goes out he’d see the Force ghosts of Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Anakin (thus recalling for the viewer/reader the iconic ending of Return of the Jedi), and in dying Luke would take his place among them.

Troy Denning

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What I Hope to See from Episodes VII-IX: This time, I think it would be fun to follow the hero’s journey of a young woman, the way we followed Luke’s journey in Episodes IV – VI. And I want the thrilling lightsaber duels and epic starship battles of Episodes I-III. Give me three films that combine great action with mythic themes, and I’ll be a happy fan.

What secondary or Expanded Universe character I'd Like to See Get the Spotlight: Jaina Solo, without a doubt. Jaina is Han and Leia’s only surviving child, and one of the most capable members of the Jedi Order. She’s emerging as the leader of the next generation, and she’s one of the most popular characters in the novel line. I don’t think there could be a better choice.

How I Want to See Luke, Han, or Leia Die: I’d want to see Luke go fairly early, in an incredible display of Jedi power that saves his companions and/or deals the villain a real setback. And I’d want his sacrifice to become a rallying point for the good guys. I’d want him to become more dangerous to the villain in death than he was in life.
Han and Leia should go out as a team, executing a cunning trick that sets the villain up for a hard fall. I wouldn’t want a lot of on-screen sentimentality, just a sense of courageous self-sacrifice from Leia and, from Han, a smug smirk. But as the final moment comes, I'd want to see them together — holding hands or leaning in for a final kiss — because that's who these characters are, two people in love to the last.

John Jackson Miller

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What I hope to see from Episodes VII-IX: It's something I've speculated about since I first saw them mentioned in Lucas's Time magazine interview back in 1980. My presumption would be that, obviously, it jumps ahead a generation, matching the gap between the other two trilogies — and I would assume that it takes on the larger themes of the ongoing series: power and temptation. My assumption was always that Luke, not Anakin, was really the "chosen one" who brought "balance to the Force" — but as those lines weren't in the original trilogy, they could also take this opportunity to bookend that section by addressing it anew.

Something delving more into Sith philosophy and why it's attractive would be fun to see. I did a deep dive into Sithiness with my Lost Tribe of the Sith stories — their all-for-me-nothing-for-you views are interesting, as are the challenges with achieving power on a galactic stage. You can see why Palpatine had to hijack an existing government — they're not the most attractive bosses to work with!

I would also hope to see something addressing one of the broader issues that I've attempted to take up in stories in other parts of the timeline (in Knights of the Old Republic and Knight Errant) -- namely, the love-hate relationship between the Jedi and the Republic, which is a far larger organization. The Jedi do a lot for the Republic, yes, but they've also been more trouble than they're worth on more than one occasion. One can imagine the Republic chancellor finally revoking the Jedi Council's parking spaces!

What secondary or Expanded Universe character I'd Like to See Get the Spotlight: From the movies, it'd be a blast to see Lando as Chancellor. The gamblers, smugglers, and criminals have sort of a world of their own, apart from what's going on in the galactic drama between the Jedi and the Sith.

From the Expanded Universe, most of my work has been in the past or distant past, so if we're getting pantheons of blue ghosts, there's a range of folks that would be fun to see, from Arca Jeth to my own Zayne Carrick and Kerra Holt. There are some old villains that could do turns in holographic form, too. And practically every droid from the past has at least a theoretical chance of still being around. If we see a droid that's refusing to do any work, that'd be Elbee from the KOTOR comics. Sitting immobile for 4,000 years would suit him just fine!

How I want to see Luke, Han, or Leia die: I'm certain that I don't want to see that — it's much more fun to imagine them living on. It would be preferable to think that they died while sitting on a beach drinking blue martinis delivered by serving droids — but I imagine that's not very cinematic!

James Luceno

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What I Hope to See from Episodes VII-IX: A new and perilous threat — of the Sith sort, to be certain that the dark and light sides of Force, as well as lightsabers, are heavily featured.

What secondary or Expanded Universe character I'd Like to See Get the Spotlight: If for whatever reasons the Sith don't figure into the film plots, I would love to see an appearance by the extra-galactic Yuuzhan Vong, who battled the Jedi through the twenty-one Expanded Universe novels that comprise The New Jedi Order.

How I Want to See Luke, Han, or Leia Die: Luke, with lightsaber in hand, in a blaze of glory; Han, Leia and the Millennium Falcon in an act of heroic sacrifice.

Michael Reaves

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What I Hope to See from Episodes VII-IX: The latest estimates for the Milky Way suggest literally billions of Earthlike worlds. With lifeforms like gigantic space slugs that can live in hard vacuum, it's obvious that life in the GFFA is at least as tenacious as it is here, if not more so.

My tendency is to poke around the backwaters and the seedier places of these many and richly varied worlds. There are many other monomyths and archetypes besides the Hero's Journey. One thing I do not want to see is the same storyline with new faces.

What secondary or Expanded Universe character I'd Like to See Get the Spotlight: Hey, I'm not gonna be disingenuous; I'd love for Jax Pavan and I-Five to get a shot.

How I Want to See Luke, Han, or Leia Die: Saving the galaxy. They're heroes, right? So let 'em die heroically.

Christie Golden

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What I Hope to See from Episodes VII-IX: Follow-up adventures with Luke, Han and Leia! I would be amenable to seeing new actors in the old roles if Lucasfilm wants to pick up right where Return of the Jedi left off, but the actors would have to be VERY well cast. I'd actually love to see Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford reprise the roles of Luke, Leia and Han...alongside their kids!

What secondary or Expanded Universe character I'd Like to See Get the Spotlight: Vestara Khai. *coughs a little* Okay...Pocket the chitlik. No? Seriously, though, the Skywalker and Solo offspring are such terrific characters in their own right, it would be wonderful to see them brought to life.

How I Want to See Luke, Han, or Leia Die: Oh this question is just cruel! Well...if they HAVE to, Han or Leia would have to die sacrificing him/herself for the other. And I want a "dies in your arms" scene, darn it, if either one has to go. Luke...should die alone, of his own free choice, saving countless lives. It should be set to John Williams' most beautiful music, and I better see Luke become One with the Force pretty much immediately or I will not be responsible for all that Kleenex on the movie theater floor.

Aaron Allston

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What I Hope to See from Episodes VII-IX: Could I see "Screenplay by Aaron Allston"? No?

Well, barring that, I'd like to see the story move away from the Skywalkers, Solos, even the Jedi a bit, reminding us that there are other people doing important things in the galaxy. I'd like to see a greater proportion of female characters. I want to see more spectacle — Tatooine junkyards and bongo interiors aren't exactly challenges for ILM's skills. And I hope to see a return to the lightheartedness and humor of A New Hope, putting the fatalism of the prequels behind us.

What secondary or Expanded Universe character I'd Like to See Get the Spotlight: This kind of depends on exactly when in the timeline Episodes VII through IX take place. Timothy Zahn's Mara Jade would always be a good choice. The next-generation Solos and Skywalkers, such as Jaina Solo and Ben Skywalker, would be welcome. If any sort of espionage is in the offing, some sort of nod to my own Wraith Squadron characters would be a thrill for me.

But what I really hope to see most is any sort of appearance by recognizable EU characters, which would be an acknowledgement that the EU is a significant part of what constitutes Star Wars.

How I Want to See Luke, Han, or Leia Die: You know, I actually don't want to see them die in the movies, and it's not just because of affection for the characters.

Action movie characters live pretty tortured lives. There's no chance of them appearing on-screen for 90 minutes of shopping or gossip, so any time we put them in front of the camera, it's for punishment. At a certain point, we recognize there's no way they can keep doing this and survive, so we kill them, an act so common and callous we don't even refer to it as killing them — it's "killing them off." Ellen Ripley. Bernard Quatermass. Hoban "Wash" Washburne. Sometimes characters die because their portrayers can only show up for one or two day's filming, and the director and producer decide to maximize those three minutes of screen time by whacking the character.

Me, I'm all for having Luke, Leia, and Han be in a scene showing them knocking back shots of Corellian brandy while playing cards. Then the screen can go through a 1940s-style wipe and the camera can zoom in on their descendants saving the galaxy for a new generation.

I love how some of them mention that they would like to see EU characters or things mentioned, despite the fact that Disney has already given the middle finger to that idea. I want to see those things to, but its not going to happen. Looks like I'm not the only one who has a chance at being extremely disappointed by the direction SW is going._________________Perfection is a lifelong pursuit requiring sacrifice. The only way to get it quicker is to sacrifice the most.

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 3:54 pm

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Darth SkuldrenModerator

Joined: 04 Feb 2008Posts: 6953Location: Missouri

Your really think Disney is going to completely ignore the EU? Step on it, sure, but ignore it? I don't see that happening. I think we will see at the very least the same treatment of the EU as we've seen with TCW, and possibly better. It wouldn't surprise me if Abrams treats the EU with more reverence than George._________________
"I believe toys resonate with us as humans, we can hold them, it's tactile, real! They are totems for our extended beliefs and imaginations. A fetish for ideas that hold as much interest and passion as old religious relics for some. We display them in our homes. They show who we are. They are signals for similar thinking people. A way we connect with each other...and I guess thats why I do toys. That connection." -Ashley Wood

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 6:46 pm

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ReepicheepMaster

Joined: 05 Feb 2008Posts: 7925Location: Sailing into the unknown

Aaron Allston wrote:

And I hope to see a return to the lightheartedness and humor of A New Hope, putting the fatalism of the prequels behind us.

I echo this. The last time I watched the two Star Wars trilogies, one of the most jarring things I noticed was the lack of humour in the Prequels. I mean the OT was funny. The Prequels took themselves way too seriously._________________
Where sky and water meet,
Where the waves grow sweet,
Doubt not, Reepicheep,
To find all you seek,
There is the utter east.

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 9:48 pm

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Jedi JoeMaster

Joined: 11 Jun 2009Posts: 1660

Reepicheep wrote:

I echo this. The last time I watched the two Star Wars trilogies, one of the most jarring things I noticed was the lack of humour in the Prequels. I mean the OT was funny. The Prequels took themselves way too seriously.

What about Jar-Jar?_________________Darth Vegas the unwise...

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 11:40 pm

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Caedus_16Master

Joined: 15 Apr 2008Posts: 5438Location: Korriban

Darth Skuldren wrote:

Your really think Disney is going to completely ignore the EU? Step on it, sure, but ignore it? I don't see that happening. I think we will see at the very least the same treatment of the EU as we've seen with TCW, and possibly better. It wouldn't surprise me if Abrams treats the EU with more reverence than George.

If it means pretending things like the Thrawn Trilogy or the NJO didn't happen I think its more than stepping on it. They already said they want to go completely different directions and Abrams will be telling the story they want him to tell. Masterfully maybe, but their story. They want to do something completely different than the EU has done, they've said that, and I'd honestly almost rather see them reboot than do the nonsense that TCW did (though I don't know if I'll support a rebooted EU)._________________Perfection is a lifelong pursuit requiring sacrifice. The only way to get it quicker is to sacrifice the most.

Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 8:55 am

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WerehunterKnight

Joined: 08 Apr 2011Posts: 362

I didn't see them say they were planning on going a completely different direction, but rather they they were going to let the novels lock them in one direction. To me, it seemed like they only had some vague ideas about where they wanted to go.

Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 8:59 am

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Taral-DLOSMaster

Joined: 23 Nov 2010Posts: 2062Location: Ontario, Canada

If they simply didn't reference the Thrawn Trilogy in the new movies, one could argue that they "pretended it didn't happen", or one could argue that they decided to simply not show it or reference it, but it could still easily have happened.

This is why I want the movies to be much much later than the OT. Either on the order of a century (between FOTJ and Legacy), or two centuries (way after Legacy).

If new movies were set only a few years after Episode VI, then yes there might be cause for concern. But the actors are old and there aren't any particularly theatrical stories you could tell that don't stomp all over the main theme of ROTJ (that good wins out over evil; the Sith were destroyed via last minute redemption, etc.) In a way, the EU already undermines that idea by showing that the Galactic Civil War last an additional 15 years. This is realistic, but from the standpoint of a movie franchise telling a story of good triumphing over evil, then setting any story too close to Episode VI is problematic. Set it much later though, and you could document a new threat in a new galactic framework without much problems.

I would not shed a single tear if the new movies didn't reference a single piece of EU (e.g. a movie set in the post-Legacy world that didn't have a single Yuuzhan Vong in it, or a single Chiss, or didn't mention previous governments between ROTJ and status quo). If they deliberately did render a few stories non-canon, or rebooted the EU, I might shed one or two tears in reminiscence of a world I once knew and a youth I once had, but would stop when I realized that despite the books not fitting together anymore, I still enjoyed reading them. But since good storytelling will probably prevail, I don't see cause for concern. I will give up the entire EU's continuity in favour of Academy Award-worthy movie storytelling._________________http://taralbooks.blogspot.ca

Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2013 10:30 pm

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Darth_HenningMaster

Joined: 12 Apr 2011Posts: 589Location: Canada

Caedus_16 wrote:

... They already said they want to go completely different directions and Abrams will be telling the story they want him to tell. Masterfully maybe, but their story. They want to do something completely different than the EU has done, they've said that,....

Please show me ONE source where this is said. You keep saying this but there is NO evidence for it.

They have said they aren't adapting anything, and they're not letting the novels determine what they write. Never once have they said they're ignoring them unless you have access to some source none of the rest of us have seen...

Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 12:13 am

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Caedus_16Master

Joined: 15 Apr 2008Posts: 5438Location: Korriban

Darth_Henning wrote:

Caedus_16 wrote:

... They already said they want to go completely different directions and Abrams will be telling the story they want him to tell. Masterfully maybe, but their story. They want to do something completely different than the EU has done, they've said that,....

Please show me ONE source where this is said. You keep saying this but there is NO evidence for it.

They have said they aren't adapting anything, and they're not letting the novels determine what they write. Never once have they said they're ignoring them unless you have access to some source none of the rest of us have seen...

The first thing that they said was that they were avoiding the EU. I have no magical site, they said they want to go a different direction I'm the unusual announcement and to do original stories. Sorry, no magic site, just what they said initially. Forgive my cynicism but i have little to no faith in this.

EDIT: There is also a very real chance it is just me reacting poorly to statements they've made. Very huge chance, so take my ramblings with a grain of salt._________________Perfection is a lifelong pursuit requiring sacrifice. The only way to get it quicker is to sacrifice the most.

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 11:58 am

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ReepicheepMaster

Joined: 05 Feb 2008Posts: 7925Location: Sailing into the unknown

I started out very cynical, but I don't know... the idea of the new movies working with the EU doesn't seem as fantastical as it used to. The filmmakers really could set their movies post-FotJ with very little explaining to do if they really wanted to. It probably depends on how much involvement Lucas has. I'm cautiously (very cautiously) optimistic at this point._________________
Where sky and water meet,
Where the waves grow sweet,
Doubt not, Reepicheep,
To find all you seek,
There is the utter east.

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 1:29 pm

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GrandMasterMaster

Joined: 26 Aug 2011Posts: 628Location: Earth Jedi Temple

I think working with the EU could be a good money maker for them - It still see many EU books on the shelves at Barnes and Noble, and the movies could bring more people to read those books._________________"But it was so artistically done."

“No. I am Ganner. This threshold is mine. I claim it for my own. Bring on your thousands, one at a time or all in a rush. I don’t give a damn. None shall pass.”

"Shaken, not stirred, will get you cold water with a dash of gin and dry vermouth. The reason you stir it with a special spoon is so not to chip the ice. James is ordering a weak martini and being snooty about it."

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 1:59 pm

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Caedus_16Master

Joined: 15 Apr 2008Posts: 5438Location: Korriban

GrandMaster wrote:

I think working with the EU could be a good money maker for them - It still see many EU books on the shelves at Barnes and Noble, and the movies could bring more people to read those books.

That's been said a lot. I'm hoping for them to decide to work with it, but when it comes to the EU there are tons of gap already filled in. Or they could do like TCW and overwrite only certain parts, which would also be conflicting._________________Perfection is a lifelong pursuit requiring sacrifice. The only way to get it quicker is to sacrifice the most.